Lyrics For Life comes home

Before Ken Block stood under spotlighted stages as the lead singer of the rock band Sister Hazel, he knelt at a hospital bedside as a devoted big brother.

When Block was 16, his brother Jeffrey, 14, was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. After a four-year fight, Jeffrey passed away, affecting Ken’s life forever. Today, through the non-profit foundation Lyrics for Life, Block uses music to help children and families battling cancer.

“Jeffrey and I were as close as two brothers have ever been, and losing him was painful beyond words," Block said. "He left an indelible mark on me and all the work I’ve done since."

Lyrics for Life has raised more than $1 million for cancer research and programming through concerts and events throughout the years. And this weekend, the series comes home to Block's beloved Gainesville — where he still lives with his family and where Jeffrey died in 1986. Gainesville also is the city where Jeffrey left the hospital in a wheelchair to make his high school graduation ceremony (the crowd at the O'Connell Center went crazy when he walked across the stage without assistance, Block recalled).

On Sunday, Sister Hazel will host an evening of live music, refreshments and a silent auction to benefit Stop! Children’s Cancer, Florida Cancer Specialists and Camp Hazelnut, an annual weekend event the band hosts for families affected by pediatric cancer. Sister Hazel’s Lyrics for Life: An Evening of Making Music Matter will start at 6 p.m. at the Santa Fe College Fine Arts Hall in Gainesville. Tickets are $150.

Sister Hazel will perform a full-band acoustic set following an in-the-round performance from Block, Edwin McCain and Emerson Hart of the band Tonic. The three will perform favorites such as McCain’s “I’ll Be” and Hart’s “If You Could Only See.”

“Three platinum artists in one night onstage in Gainesville is a pretty rare event; not to mention, we’re all old friends so we’re going to be having a lot of fun up there,” Block said. “With an in-the-round performance, you get unique versions of these hit songs, as well as storytelling around the songs.”

A silent auction will feature handwritten lyrics from artists such as James Taylor, Darius Rucker, Train and Three Doors Down. Refreshments will be served from Blue Water Bay, and a party following the performances will continue into the night.

“We’re going to have a seriously good time even though we’re dealing with serious issues,” he said. “I think people will laugh, but they’ll also be moved. They’ll understand this is a passion project for all of us.”

Block said all proceeds from this event will go toward Stop! Children’s Cancer, Florida Cancer Specialists and Camp Hazelnut. He likens the work of these three organizations to a three-legged stool. They work in tandem to heal the body, mind and spirit of those affected by a cancer diagnosis.

“Camp Hazelnut is a place to replenish your soul. Florida Cancer Specialists is a place where families can lean if they’re going through hard times with financial burdens. Stop! Children’s Cancer funds research, getting right at the heart of it. Hopefully they’ll be able to find that magic bullet, and cancer will become something we can easily treat and then move on with our lives,” he said.

Camp Hazelnut started three years ago at Camp Crystal Lake near Starke. Initially it was a retreat for fans of Sister Hazel — Hazelnuts, they call themselves — but after Block reached out to several Florida cancer centers to invite affected families, the camp took on another purpose.

“Those families impacted the event in such a positive, profound way we decided to shift the focus these last couple years to these kids and families navigating a cancer diagnosis. It’s fertile ground for them to escape for a little while, to just be kids,” he said. “It’s an incredible weekend. Every hour, every minute, there’s a different magical moment.”

To purchase tickets, go to sfcollege.edu/finearts and select “See all performances.” For more information on Lyrics for Life, go to www.lyricsforlife.org.

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